Summer Programs (Academic)

The Brain-Mind-Wellness (BMW) Summer ProgramJune 22 - July 31, 2015

The Brain Mind Wellness (BMW) Summer Program brings together experts from UCLA's world-renowned Center for East-West Medicine and the Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior (including leaders from both the Mindful Awareness Research Center, and the Tennenbaum Family Center for the Biology of Creativity), to provide this unique integrative program under the aegis of the David Geffen School of Medicine.

The program aims to engage students in a series of courses and experiences focused on bridging multiple disciplines to understand the links among brain, mind and wellness. The courses emphasize both the scientific foundations and practical applications of methods that aim to enhance health, well-being, and creativity. The BMW summer program provides a unique integrated experience across the three component courses that are the cornerstones of this program:

The Wilderness Mindfulness Summer Institute August 4 - 13, 2015

This program offers an introduction to mindfulness in a wilderness setting. Students will learn basic mindfulness meditation practices integrated into a week of wilderness backpacking and living in the beautiful Silver Peak Wilderness. Students will be introduced to the core mindfulness practices of sitting and walking meditation, as well as methods for deepening positive emotions, and for integrating more awareness and creativity into ordinary activities. The program will also include lectures on the emerging science of the beneficial effects of mindfulness practice for mental and physical health, exercises in relational (interactive) mindfulness, and deeper awareness of the natural world.

This experiential program is designed for beginners, which means that no prior experience with either meditation or wilderness backpacking is necessary.

Open to UCLA students and the public. 4 quarter units of credit available.